Web conferencing can be implemented by screen sharing a presenter's screen with attendees over the Internet. Various techniques have been disclosed to implement the screen sharing aspect, such as with a plug-in (e.g., Flash) that augments the basic operation of a web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, etc.). However, if the plug-in is not pre-installed on an attendee's computer, an attendee typically must download and install the plug-in before joining a meeting. Downloading a plug-in increases the setup time and complexity for an attendee to join a meeting. In addition, the attendee's computer (or gateway server) may have firewall software installed that may inhibit or further complicate the download and installation of the plug-in. Yet another problem is that an attendee may be hesitant to download and install a plug-in for fear of downloading a virus.
An alternative technique employs the basic functionality of a browser to implement screen sharing (browser based web conferencing) which obviates the need to download a plug-in. Thus, any attendee with an appropriate browser installed can join a meeting by simply launching the browser and visiting the designated web site.